You may have noticed that ground has been broken on Vineyard View, the planned 50-unit affordable apartment complex on the south side of Route 48, just east of San Simeon by the Sound, in the unincorporated section of Greenport.

Officials anticipate the completion of the work in a little more than a year.

“The project, once complete, will help fill the need of affordable rentals that simply aren’t available,” Southold Supervisor Scott Russell said Friday.

“The town moved away from the home ownership model of the past two decades and is focusing more and more on creating rentals,” he said.

Vineyard View calls for 50 apartment units in seven buildings, and the units will be offered for rent at rates set by the federal government that will guarantee affordability for 50 years.

There will be 14 one-bedroom units, 22 two-bedroom units and 14 three-bedroom units, along with a 2,649-square-foot community center, 104 parking spaces and other site improvements on a 17.19-acre property that was wooded prior to clearing.

Officials say 10 of the 17 acres will be preserved as open space, and the open space will consist of 6.3 acres that will be upland and 3.7 acres of wetlands.

While Vineyard View is located outside the boundaries of the Incorporated Village of Greenport, the developers will pay a one-time hookup fee to the village to allow the project to be connected to the village sewer system.

Southold Town has issued a fact sheet answering many questions — who qualifies, what is considered affordable, the size of the apartments — according to Rona Smith, the chair of the town’s Housing Advisory Committee. The information comes from Conifer Realty, which, along with Community Development Corporation of Long Island, is the applicant on the project.

Conifer and CDCLI recently collaborated on the 45-unit Peconic Crossing affordable apartment project in Riverhead and had 941 people apply for 45 units. Ms. Smith thinks Vineyard View will have more than that.

The apartments in Vineyard View will be rent regulated and targeted to families priced out of the local marketplace, according to officials.

Rents will be monitored and set relative to income level.

The income ranges that qualify for the apartments are for those earning up to 50% of the Suffolk County Area Median Income, and those making 60% of the Suffolk AMI , which is calculated by looking at every income in Suffolk County and picking the one in the middle. 

The AMI also differs depending on the size of the family, as will the rents. 

For people in the 50% AMI bracket, 25 apartments will be available. The maximum income for a one-person house would be $40,850.

Likewise, the maximum income is $46,700 for two people, $52,500 for three people, $58,350 for four people and $63,000 for five people.

There will be 25 apartments available for people in the 60% AMI bracket.

The maximum income in these instances is $49,020 for one person, $56,040 for two, $63,000 for three, $70,202 for four and $75,600 for five people.

There will be 14 one-bedroom units that range in size from 686 to 707 square feet. The rents for these units will range from $909 to $1,117 per month, according to the town.

For the 22 two-bedroom apartments, the square footage will range from 850 to 884 and the projected rent will range form $1,094 to $1,344 per month. 

And lastly, for the 14 three-bedroom units, the rent will run from $1,264 to $1,552 per month and range from 1,101 to 1,211 square feet. 

“Grants for construction are becoming rarer and, with grants and financial incentives that are available, apartments give us the biggest bang for our buck,” Mr. Russell said. “Plus, most people currently on our registry are simply not in a position, financially or otherwise, to buy. Providing new affordable rental opportunities allows our young workers to stay, and multi-generational projects provide opportunities for people of all ages to continue to live in the town. It is a small first step to address the shortage town-wide.”

Ms. Smith said the Housing Advisory Committee is in charge of making sure that the tenants meet income eligibility requirements.

A list of interested people will be compiled, they will be screened to see of they meet income criteria, and then a list of eligible applicants will be compiled, according to the town.

Shortly before the completion of construction, a lottery will be held, which will set the order by which applicants will be screened.

Anyone seeking to be included on the town’s affordable housing registry should email Denis Noncarrow at denisn@southoldtownny.gov.

tgannon@timesreview.com

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In preparation for another busy summer season, some hotels in Greenport Village are modifying or expanding their services. 

Three proposals brought before the Village Planning Board Thursday night, two of which were approved, revolved around modifications to The Menhaden, American Beech and Greenporter Hotel.

A potential expansion for Greenporter Hotel, led by Hideaki Ariizumi and Glynis Berry from Studio A/B Architects of Riverhead, would construct 20 guest rooms on the new third floor and add a lobby to connect the separated buildings on Front Street.

Deborah Rivera-Pittorino said she opened the hotel with her husband about 20 years ago. She closed the restaurant portion about four years ago after she lost her husband to pancreatic cancer. She then decided to prioritize  the lodging element of the business. The restaurant still offers complimentary breakfast to guests. 

The 20 guest rooms would appeal to families with an “accessible price point,” Ms. Rivera-Pittorino told board members. Extra storage space would be converted to a library for guests. The hotel currently offers 30 rooms for reservation. 

The hotel’s primary demographic is 28 to 55-year-olds from Manhattan or Brooklyn who do not own cars, Ms. Rivera-Pittorino said.  

“We would be able to maximize the sale of our rooms in high season and also be able to offer more rooms to companies,” she said. “In the last couple of years, we’ve done a lot of business with corporations.”

The expansion would also reduce the hotel’s carbon footprint, she said, by reducing heating usage, and adding solar panels and a permaculture garden attached to the building.

Newly appointed Planning Board chair Walter Foote said although the project is still in its early stages, the “ambitious” plan could improve the community. 

Village administrator Paul Pallas said the project may require variances depending on feedback from the planner. 

The board requested the architect submit a longform assessment form. The project will come before the board again after the Village receives feedback from the planner. 

Beginning this summer, Greenport’s newest hotel, The Menhaden, will offer outdoor seating.

Twelve seats will be added to the exterior of the building for entertainment purposes, according to the approved site plan. To comply with the site plan, contracting company Front & Third LLC is required to remove 12 seats from inside the building to make space for the outdoor spots. 

The board also approved minor changes to historic Stirling Square, home of American Beech.

The proposal, assembled through Stirling Square LLC, asked to change a now-vacant retail space into use for assembly.

The site plan, which came before the board at the Feb. 28 regular meeting, is intended to accommodate overflow seating from the main restaurant at American Beech. At a previous meeting, Mr. Foote said, the applicant told the board no food preparation would occur in the converted space.

Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that a public hearing would still be held on The Menhaden and American Beech. Those hearings were held April 4.

knalepinski@timesreview.com

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Before it was Goldin Furniture, the huge Queen Anne-style building at the corner of Main Street and Central Avenue in Greenport was known as the Greenport Auditorium. It was built in 1894 as a theater for arts and entertainment. 

The Greenport Auditorium was conceived and funded by Sarah Adams, a community leader and active Presbyterian Church member who advocated for women’s suffrage. 

“As the village center for arts and cultural entertainment, the auditorium accommodated up to 700 guests for popular dramas, vaudeville, musicals and bands,” according to the nonprofit Preservation Long Island.

That use continued for many decades, until the building fell into disrepair after the Great Hurricane of 1938. It sat vacant for a few years, then became a furniture store, as it is today. 

Now, a group headed by Alex Aurichio — whose brother, Andrew, owns the building and the business — hopes to buy and restore the auditorium.

Alex Aurichio is president, director and founder of Greenport Auditorium Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the landmark building. 

The group received nonprofit status last month, according to Mr. Aurichio, who said the next step is to begin a fundraising campaign for the project. 

First, he would have to purchase the structure from his brother, he said, adding that the cost of acquiring and restoring the property could range anywhere from $4 million to $10 million. 

He plans to seek advice from the group that helped fund the restoration of the Sag Harbor Cinema following the devastating 2016 fire.

Earlier this month, Preservation Long Island added the Greenport Auditorium to its list of “endangered historic places” on Long Island. 

Other groups have taken notice of the plans to restore the auditorium. 

“Greenport’s remarkably intact 1894 Queen Anne-style auditorium retains the unique ambiance of a turn-of-the-century theater,” Preservation Long Island wrote. “Operated as a home furnishings showplace since the 1940s, the building’s restoration is limited by a lack of resources and capacity to fund and organize a complex preservation project. As downtown Greenport revitalizes, the surviving historical stage and other interior features are at risk of being lost to redevelopment.”

They listed the building’s status as “at risk” because Greenport has become a popular destination and “developers and real estate speculators are actively pursuing large commercial properties like this one to redevelop.”

The stage inside the former auditorium remains in place, although it now has chairs on it, rather than actors. 

The “Greenport Auditorium” sign is also still intact atop the building. 

“I’m not doing it for the money,” Alex Aurichio said. “I’m doing it to preserve the building for the betterment of the community. It would definitely be a good thing for the community.”

He envisions presenting plays, live music and movies and holding community meetings and other events at the site. 

“The acoustics in this building are incredible,” he said. “Somebody could stand on the stage and whisper to someone in the back of the theater, and they could hear it.”

“It’s a very large building and it’s going to take a lot of collaboration to make it back into an auditorium,” said Sarah Lautz, preservation director for Preservation Long Island.

Preservation Long Island doesn’t give grants, but instead provides advisory and technical services. 

“We could point them in the direction of a funding source or expertise in this type of thing,” Ms. Lautz said. “There’s a lot of options out there and a lot of resources out there.”

The building is located within the Greenport Village Historic District, she said. Stephen Bull, the head of the Greenport Village Historic Preservation Commission, alerted Preservation Long Island to the auditorium, she said. 

Ms. Lautz thinks the site could do well as a venue for live performances and music because Greenport is close to both New York City and, via Cross Sound Ferry service, Connecticut. 

“Everybody kind of agrees that Greenport could really use a performing arts center, and that it would probably be very successful,” she said. “So, we’re hopeful.”

She described the stage as “shockingly intact.”

Greenport Village recently saw another entertainment venue reopen when the Village Cinema, which has been closed in the winter for many years , began showing classic films at no charge on Saturdays. Under a program run by the Manhattan Film Institute — and after replacement of the theater’s heating system, thanks to donors and contractors volunteering their services — films began showing in December and will continue through May 18. 

MFI co-founder Tony Spiridakis is a friend of Alex Aurichio. 

“We would love to find some way to help him have his dream come true,” Mr. Spiridakis said. “The Manhattan Film Institute is a friend of the auditorium project and really hopes that Alex is able to make his dream for that space come true.”

Photo caption: The stage at the former Greenport Auditorium, home of Goldin Furniture, is largely intact. (Credit: Tim Gannon)

tgannon@timesreview.com

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The Greenport Auditorium is one of those buildings that is so impressive it forces someone driving or walking by it to stop and look it over. It’s big and handsome in a bygone kind of way, and it speaks to the village’s rich past.

Built in 1894, the Queen-Anne style structure was once the village center for entertainment. It speaks to a time well before television and radio, when Greenport was a thriving deepwater fishing port. Its grand style also speaks to a time of genuine prosperity in the village, where residents of the area could enjoy a night of music, vaudeville or theater before going back to work the next day.

Some 700 people could attend a show in the auditorium. Local history tells us it was a busy venue well into the 20th century, falling into disrepair after the 1938 Great Hurricane slammed into eastern Long Island. Photographs show the damage the hurricane caused in the village as it sliced northeast across the North Fork and into southern New England.

As we say in our story in this week’s paper, the auditorium’s glory days ended with the hurricane. The building sat vacant and soon became a furniture store. That is what it is today.

Now, 81 years after the Great Hurricane, plans are afoot to restore this historic property as a public auditorium. This is a terrific proposal, and we hope it moves ahead and succeeds, even though a similar effort to purchase the building begun three years ago failed to make a serious dent in fundraising. We’d like to see if this new effort can get some real support behind it. Reviving it as a theater and meeting place would be bringing back the best of what Greenport once was.

A new entity called Greenport Auditorium Inc. has been established to preserve this landmark village building. Alex Aurichio, president and founder of the nonprofit, said fundraising will begin soon for the project. The building is owned by Mr. Aurichio’s brother, Andrew, who runs the furniture store.

Alex Aurichio’s goal is to buy the building from his brother and restore it, an undertaking for which the estimated cost could run as high as $10 million. This is a massive amount of money. On the surface, it seems like a bridge too far. But a model of how to proceed can be found in the restoration of the iconic Sag Harbor Cinema, which was destroyed by fire in 2016. It must be said, however: That project had serious South Fork money — and celebrities — behind it. 

That said, this project is well worth the effort. Preservation Long Island has included the Greenport Auditorium on its list of “endangered historic places” on Long Island. “As downtown Greenport revitalizes, the surviving historical stage and other interior features are at risk of being lost to redevelopment,” according to the organization. 

In our story, Alex Aurichio says, “I’m not doing it for the money. I’m doing it to preserve the building for the betterment of the community.” A restored auditorium could be home to plays, music, community gatherings and perhaps even movies.

We are hoping this comes about.

The post Editorial: A piece of Greenport’s rich past may return appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Greenport Village is taking the first step toward expanding its municipal sewer system into the Sandy Beach neighborhood. 

A resolution, approved unanimously last Thursday, authorizes village staff to work with outside entities to obtain grants to fund the expansion to the community off the southeast tip of Stirling Basin.

A 2017 engineering report from Cashin Associates  put the cost of the project at $1.1 million. The potential grants could offset the cost of the expansion and reduce the tax hike for property owners in Sandy Beach, where there are relatively few homes. 

The lack of a sewer system in the beachfront neighborhood off Stirling Basin came under scrutiny  last month after residents Stephen Bull and Terese Svoboda submitted a wetlands permit application to raise their home by three feet to protect it against future storms. Only a part of Sandy Beach is in the incorporated village of Greenport, but that area is the only part of Greenport Village that isn’t currently connected to the sewer system.

At a previous board meeting, CAC member John Saladino pointed out that about 26 homes on Sandy Beach Road are affected by flood waters. At the time, he noted that their septic systems empty into the bay and creek.

Greenport had previously considered extending its sewer system to the Sandy Beach area, although cost has been an issue.

knalepinski@timesreview.com

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Every village has its known characters; the residents or business owners you see every day, who become engrained in a community’s identity.

Frank Purita, who died Tuesday at the age of 53 after a short battle with cancer, was one of those people in the Village of Greenport, friends and family members said this week.

The chef and restaurateur, who spent the better part of four decades working in restaurants across Long Island, was remembered this week for his skills in the kitchen, his love of music and, perhaps most of all, his generosity.

“It doesn’t matter where you go, everyone knows Frank,” said his sister Virginia Scudder of Aquebogue. “Whether it’s how he jumped someone’s car, gave them a couple of bucks or cooked them dinner, Frank always went above and beyond for other people.”

The owner of D’latte Café in Greenport, Mr. Purita could often be seen playing his guitar. A fan of The Beatles, he enjoyed sharing his love of music with others, when he wasn’t busy talking to them about everyday life or filling their bellies with his trademark baked goods and gelato, friends recalled.

“I remember the first time I saw him, I was having a cup of coffee and he came by with a gelato cart,” recalled Greenport resident Gary Charters. “I said, ‘Who the hell is this guy?’ ”

Pretty soon, everyone would know Frank.

“He was one of the good guys,” said village resident and fellow small business owner Eileen Kapell. “There’s not many in the world, and he was.”

Born in Calabria in southern Italy, Mr. Purita came to this country with his parents at age 9. The eldest of three children born to Fiore and Maria Purita, he attended high school in Baldwin and worked in restaurants most of his life.

Together with his wife, Claudia Purita, he ran eateries in Rockville Centre, Carle Place, Oceanside and Dix Hills, before the couple made their way out to the North Fork nearly two decades ago.

Ms. Kapell said she didn’t know Mr. Purita to sit idle and in him she saw someone who was always evolving as a chef and businessman, “thinking outside the box.” The Puritas previously owned Café Mediterranean in Mattituck and Sasuke and Biere in Greenport. They transformed the latter into The Half Note jazz spot in 2018, when they also opened Greenport Distilling on nearby Carpenter Street. He partnered in his recent ventures with his daughters Gabriella and Maria, as well as Claudia, the owner of One Woman Vineyards in Southold, where the family lives.

The pursuit of owning a winery was one of the primary factors in bringing the family to the North Fork, Ms. Scudder said.

Many Greenport residents expressed shock when learning the news of Mr. Purita’s death this week. He was only diagnosed with bile duct cancer in December, Ms. Scudder said.

Friends and neighbors have flooded social media in the days since with offerings of remembrance and sharing tales of the times Mr. Purita greeted them with warmth and support.

His sister pointed to one woman she’d never met before who recalled a time Mr. Purita bought her and all her bridesmaids a glass of champagne in a toast to her upcoming nuptials. Another favorite story is when her brother served up free meals to first responders and their families out of his former restaurant Paradiso in Rockville Centre in the days following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

“He was just so passionate about helping people,” Ms. Scudder said, adding that her brother was known for so much more than his cooking and work ethic. “He was also a philosopher, a mediator and the kind of guy who could talk to anybody.”

Visitors will be received today, Friday, May 3, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold.

The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. this Saturday, May 4, at St. Agnes R.C. Church in Greenport, with Father Richard Hoerning officiating. Interment will follow at St. Agnes R.C. Cemetery in Greenport.

In posts on the Facebook pages of the family’s businesses, it was requested that “gifts made in memory of Frank Purita may be directed to support cholangiocarcinoma (or bile duct, whichever you prefer) research as directed by Dr. Nilofer Azad at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. Checks can be made payable to Johns Hopkins University indicating the gift’s designation and mailed to Kimmel Cancer Center, PO Box 17029, Baltimore MD 21297. Gifts can also be made online: https://secure.jhu.edu/form/kimmel.”

gparpan@timesreview.com

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Blues. Jazz. Country. Folk. Latin.

These genres of music are coming to the corner of Front and First streets in Greenport this summer.

Following a public hearing Thursday, the Greenport Planning Board approved an amended site plan that grants Green Hill Kitchen permission to use the second floor of its restaurant at 48 Front St. for live music and entertainment performances.

The conditional approval requires the applicant to come before the board again at its Oct. 3 meeting. Planning board chairman Walter Foote said the condition will give the community the opportunity to weigh in on the first full summer season of live music at the venue. The restaurant did host some live music events in the space last fall before being informed it needed to amend its site plan.

Community members and local musicians filled all available seats at the Third Street Fire Station, eager to express their opinions on the potential entertainment venue for Greenport.

Architect Robert Brown said the building will not be expanded. However, the second floor will provide food, drink and live entertainment.

The restaurant’s owner Christoph Mueller told the board the upstairs venue will operate Monday through Thursday from 7 to 11 p.m. and Friday and Sunday from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. The venue will also offer comedy, theater and film performances, Mr. Mueller said, and local productions.

According to Village Administrator Paul Pallas, a building permit is not required because the unmodified space continues to meet entry and exit codes. 

Sound levels on the street, Mr. Foote said, may be a concern if windows on the second floor are open during live performances.

Mr. Pallas said the village would only measure sound levels if they received a noise complaint. The decibel level the venue needs to remain under is listed in their code requirements, he said.

Mr. Mueller said he wants to be able to advertise live music — which he feels will benefit the community. 

The audience members who spoke Thursday echoed Mr. Mueller’s sentiment. 

East End Music Alliance Founder Eric Tonyes provided the board with a list of over 60 people who wanted to attend the public hearing but were unable to.

One speaker, who said he books music for Claudio’s Clam Bar, said adding new genres of music has the potential to bring in more people to Greenport.

“Pretty much right now, our music is pretty standard,” the man said. “I think it’d be great to get a different flavor of music.”

At this time, board members said, Claudio’s is the only other venue in the incorporated village which has received approval for live music.

Michael Kontokosta, co-owner of Kontokosta Winery, said the village has a long history with live music. He recalled bringing folding chairs to Mitchell Park to hear live music with his family.

“Music can really invigorate a community and I encourage you to foster this as much as you can,” he said.

Mr. Mueller also appeared before the board Thursday for a public hearing on his new restaurant across the street from Green Hill Kitchen. Ankor will replace the former Deep Water Bar and Grille at 47 Front Street.

The restaurant, which representatives previously said will serve “high end” seafood, received approval Thursday for minor interior renovations and a new awning outside.

knalepinski@timesreview.com

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The 14th annual John May Mile was a family affair Saturday under beautiful clear skies.

Over 40 members of the May family were in attendance, several of whom wore tutus in celebration of Jennifer May-Reddy’s 40th birthday. Ms. May-Reddy, who lives in Brooklyn, is John May’s eldest grandchild.

Jack May of Guilford, Vt., who is John May’s son, was the first place finisher in the 5K, crossing the finish line in 18 minutes, 17.09 seconds. Laura Brown of Westhampton was the top female to cross in 20:54.67.

More than 100 runners participated in the race, which raised $21,200 for the Greenport Fire Department.

Dr. Z. Micah Kaplan was the recipient of Peconic Landing’s 2019 Older Americans Champion award.

See all the results here and more photos below:

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 A public information meeting will be held Saturday, May 18, at 4 p.m. at the Third Street firehouse regarding the decade-old condominium application for 123 Sterling Ave. in Greenport. 

The property was recently sold to Paul Pawlowski and his partner Kenny Ballato and they are seeking public feedback on development plans for the parcel, according to Trustee Mary Bess Phillips.

The village has no role in the meeting other than to secure the site, she said. 

A site plan for that location goes back as far as 2003 and was approved in 2007 following a lengthy legal battle with neighbors, who had filed a suit challenging earlier approvals. The case eventually ended in a legal settlement.  

The approved site plan called for a three-story, 45,000-square-foot building, with the first floor capable of being divided into 10 or more individual offices or marine-related businesses. 

The second and third stories were approved for 17 residential condominiums, 12 of which would be sold at market rate. The remaining five units were to be sold at affordable rates only to people who have lived or worked in Greenport Village or the Greenport School District for at least two years.

Richard Raskin, a principal in former property owner 123 Sterling LLC, told the Suffolk Times last year that they had been considering scaling back the commercial uses previously approved for the site. 

tgannon@timesreview.com

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The Work We Do is made possible by:

My name is Lisa Dreitlein and I am the owner of Creations by Lisa in Greenport.

I’m proud to say I’m starting my 27th year in the village and I’m very excited to be here still.

Recently, we made some renovations to the store. I’ve been here a long time, so it definitely needed a little bit of a lift. It’s very bright and cheery now.

I used to manufacture a line of hand painted clothing, which brought me out here for lunch one day with my mother.

And I thought, ‘Wow, this is such a great place.’ It’s a small town with a lot of energy, and I thought it’d be really nice to open up a store out here one day.

When I was younger, I always worked in retail and I was always drawn to fashion and color and design. I did go to school for merchandising, which was my interest in color combinations and color theory.

One of my favorite things to do is merchandise and put things together, whether it be with color or patterns and things like that.

There’s always a ton of things to be done.

We receive merchandise on a daily basis. We’re either tagging or steaming. We do have a lot of orders that need to be done on a regular basis.

I’ve been fortunate to have employees that I work well with for many years. Without their help, it would be very difficult.

When I first opened the store, my main goal was to offer the latest trends in fashion through different vendors and designs that were affordable.

It has grown into a store that is really accessible to all people, all ages and all budgets.

It’s like Christmas every day, something new coming in and I get excited to share that with the customers.

We have a lot of regular customers and when they come in, it’s nice to show them the new things that have arrived and work with their style and tastes.

It’s just something that I’ve always enjoyed doing, and I guess you’re happiest when you’re doing something you love. That’s what’s kept me here for 27 years.

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Greenport will be transported back in time beginning this weekend.

“Snapshot,” an East End Seaport Museum exhibit featuring photos and memorabilia on loan from the public and focusing on the Peconic bays in the 1950s and ’60s will be open to the public beginning Saturday, May 25, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“There’s probably about 60 pieces in all,” said Paul Kreiling, chairman of the museum’s board. “The idea of the show, because it’s community participation, is that as people bring more interesting things in, I will include them. It’s is an evolving show.”

Depending on contributions, the exhibit will run through about September and then another exhibit is planned, Mr. Kreiling said. People who submitted photos and memorabilia will get them back.

Mr. Kreiling said he “had concerns” early on when the donations weren’t coming in that fast, but “there were a few big contributors who brought a lot of great stuff.”

Ultimately, the exhibit has worked out the way he hoped, he said.

“It’ll be a very interesting show and will bring back a lot of memories for a lot of people.”

The exhibit deals with the entire East End, not just Greenport, Mr. Kreiling said.

The museum will also be open Sunday and Monday, May 26 and 27, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

tgannon@timesreview.com

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The new owners of 123 Sterling Ave. in Greenport are hoping to build less commercial space and more market-rate housing on the property than its previous owners.

Paul Pawlowski of Mattituck and Kenny Balloto of Westhampton purchased the vacant 1.72-acre parcel less than a month ago.

On Saturday, Mr. Pawlowski held a public meeting at the Third Street firehouse in Greenport to get feedback from the community before filing any formal new applications for the property.

The previous owners had obtained site plan approval more than 10 years ago.

“The point of this meeting is really to share information,” Mr. Pawlowski said. “There is currently an approved plan and building permit for this property that the sellers achieved over the last several years.”

123 Sterling LLC, a group headed by Richard Raskin, received site plan approval for the project in 2007 as a result of a stipulation of a lawsuit filed by neighbors in the Sterling Basin Neighborhood Association. The stipulation also involved the Greenport Village Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals.

Despite that approval, 123 Sterling had been seeking to scale back the project or sell the property.

It received a building permit from the village on March 19 and sold the property to Mr. Pawlowski’s group, called 123 Sterling Avenue LLC, in April.

The previously approved plan calls for 12 market-rate condos and five affordable condos for sale, 15,000 square feet of commercial space, a detached building for marina use, parking along Sterling Avenue, 83 parking spots, and no landscaping on the perimeter, according to Mr. Pawlowski.

Mr. Pawlowski’s alternative proposal, unveiled informally Saturday, calls for 20 market-rate single-family condos for sale, five affordable one-bedroom rental units, 1,500 square feet of commercial space, no parking along Sterling Avenue, 40 parking spaces and landscaping and screening around the perimeter of the property.

There are also 14 boat slips on the property. How the commercial space would be used has yet to be determined, Mr. Pawlowski said.

Both projects are about 45,000 square feet, Mr. Pawlowski said, adding that he feels excessive commercial uses could have a negative impact on the community.

“The architecture will be more in keeping with what’s already in Greenport and in that neighborhood,” Mr. Pawlowski said. “It will be campus-style, rather than one massive building.”

The proposed site plan will have entrances on Sterling Avenue and Ludlam Place, and most of the condo units will have garages on the first floor, Mr. Pawlowski said.

“Potentially, we would be coming back to the village and proposing a plan B,” Mr. Pawlowski said. It’s easier to get information out to the public sooner than later, he said, noting that as one of the reasons for Saturday’s informational meeting.

Responding to questions from the audience, Mr. Pawlowski said the property is not located in a flood plain, and the first floor is not considered living space.

One audience member commented that the property was “completely covered” during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

When asked about his “wishful time element,” Mr. Pawlowski said, “We’d like to be in the ground next year.”

He added: “Our goal is to go back to the drawing board, do something reasonable and work with the [village]. But considering there’s an existing building permit there, we wouldn’t be able to afford to wait forever.”

Asked if a bar or restaurant might occupy the commercial space, Mr. Pawlowski said, “As owners of a project like this, we would want the least-impact commercial use for this property, and a bar and restaurant would not fit into that.”

He said he prefers affordable rentals to purchases because rentals can remain affordable into the future.

Mr. Pawlowski’s previous development projects include the Capital One Bank in Mattituck and a 21,000-square-foot medical building with apartments at the Riverside traffic circle, as well as a True Value Hardware store and a Stony Brook/Southampton Hospital health care center, both in Westhampton Beach.

Once the building permit is obtained, he believes the project could be completed in eight to 12 months. He said the permit process would take longer.

Mr. Pawlowski said he loves the neighborhood and plans to keep one of the residences for himself.

Photo caption: Paul Pawlowski led a meeting Saturday to discuss 123 Sterling. (Credit: Tim Gannon)

tgannon@timesreview.com

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As she reflected on her journey, Rosario Rodriguez praises the many people who helped her along the way. There were the teachers at Greenport High School, her mentors and friends at SUNY/Oneonta and all those involved in two college programs dedicated to assisting migrant students.

Most of all, though, she spoke of her parents, Marbin and Maria, and her older brother, Marvin.

Rosario, 21, graduated from SUNY/Oneonta May 11, following in Marvin’s  footsteps. The siblings, who are five years apart but are often mistaken for twins, both earned the prestigious SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence at Oneonta.

Their accomplishments, they agreed, would have never been possible without their parents’ sacrifice.

After the pomp and circumstance of the weekend’s festivities wound down, Rosario and Marvin  saw an opportunity to express their gratitude to their parents.

Marvin handed his college cap and gown to his father; Rosario gave hers to her mother. Marbin and Maria put on the black gowns, complete with graduation stoles, honor cords and medals, and the red tassels on their caps, with a pin indicating the graduation years: 2015 and 2019. They stood on the steps of a Greenport patio and posed for photos — a pair of Guatemalan immigrants who came to America without knowing English and never had the opportunity to pursue education as they strived to provide opportunities for their children.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen them smile so hard,” said Rosario, who graduated with a degree in mass communication. “The saying that I have is: We all immigrated, therefore we all graduated.”

•

Rosario Rodriguez joined at her graduation by her parents Marbin and Maria and her brother Marvin. (Courtesy photo)

Early in her high school career, Rosario wasn’t sure if she even wanted to attend college. She said she wasn’t motivated or focused enough to think about higher education.

Her biggest role model has been her brother, and his journey to Oneonta opened her eyes to possibilities she didn’t know existed. At around 12 years old, she met Pathy Leiva, who was working for the college and helped recruit Marvin . They kept in touch over the years and Ms. Leiva became director of Oneonta’s College Assistance Migrant Program, which helps students from migrant or seasonal farmworking backgrounds transition to their first year in college. The program aids not only enrolled students, but those applying to college as well.

Ms. Leiva and Marvin pushed Rosario to dream bigger.

“Seeing his footsteps and seeing his success and his motivation definitely helped me,” she said.

Marvin said his sister motivated him as well. He wanted to attend college and become the first in his family to graduate to show his sister what is possible.

“Seeing her graduate brought all that together for me,” said Marvin, 26. “It really hit home for me because she worked hard throughout her four years to achieve what she did. It means a lot because throughout the years our family has made many sacrifices.”

The CAMP program, along with the Education Opportunity Program for students with financial disadvantages, provided immense support to both siblings while they were at Oneonta.

Rosario was one of four students who received the college’s Chancellor’s Award this year.  The award is given at each SUNY school to honor students “who best demonstrated their integration of academic excellence with other aspects of their lives,” such as leadership, campus involvement, community service or athletics. It is the highest honor SUNY bestows upon students.

Rosario said she remembered attending the ceremony in Albany when her brother received the award and how she thought to herself: I’m going to achieve that, too.

Transitioning to college wasn’t the easiest for Rosario. She said she started with a 2.9 GPA, well shy of the 4.0 her brother achieved in his first semester. But by the time she graduated, she had received  a 3.59.

In an announcement about her Chancellor’s Award, the university noted that Rosario was “deeply involved in coordinating events and fundraisers for two national honor societies and her multicultural sorority. Rosario is passionate about serving others, volunteering her time as a peer mentor and host to prospective students.”

Rosario’s success in college came as no surprise to Chris Golden, Greenport’s current athletic director.

“It was great to see the evolution for Rosario, not only as a student, but as a young person in terms of gaining the confidence and the maturity that I see a lot of young people get from when they move up from junior high, through high school years and then done with college. It’s probably one of the best aspects of being in this business.”

Mr. Golden taught both siblings — Marvin, AP microeconomics, and Rosario, U.S. history and senior economics. He became a close mentor to both of them, and they’ve kept in touch since high school.

What stands out about Rosario, he said, is her larger-than-life personality.

“She’s as outgoing a person as I’ve come across,” Mr. Golden said. “It’s a great big smile on her face. Just a warm, genuine young lady.”

•

Marbin and Maria Rodriguez of Greenport wear their children’s college gowns.

Rosario’s father first crossed into the United States illegally as a teenager in 1981. He traveled by bus from Guatemala to Mexico and then walked through the mountains to Los Angeles.

His brother lived in California. Marbin received a governmental pardon under legislation signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986.

He obtained residency status and often traveled back to Guatemala. It was during one of those trips that he met his wife. Both their children were born in Guatemala and they all came to the United States in 2001. They lived in California briefly, but Marbin struggled to make enough money so they moved to Long Island, where much of Maria’s family lived. The kids both became legal residents and Marvin has since become a U.S. citizen.

Marbin became a farmworker at a local vineyard, where he is employed today. He wakes up around 5:30 a.m. to get ready for work a Southold vineyard, putting in long days in the summer heat and winter cold. His wife worked for many years as a housekeeper.

Rosario said seeing the work her parents put into their jobs was motivation for her to succeed academically.

“The biggest thing I’ve noticed so far: America really does give you an opportunity to move forward,” she said. “We’re kind of like the testimony that all their hard work paid off.”

As she looks toward her future, Rosario plans to pursue a career in film. She has interned with the Manhattan Film Institute and is currently working as a production assistant on a film.

She hopes to focus on the Latino community in creating films and to show people where they come from, their struggles and triumphs. The kind of work done by Vice News has ignited a fire inside her, she said.

She feels a responsibility to be a voice for the Latino community, to clarify the many misconceptions about migrant families, to help motivate younger students and to show them how they can be successful.

“I think that storytelling is the most effective way you can do something,” she said.

Upon returning to Greenport after her graduation, Rosario spent time one day visiting her former high school and reconnecting with some of the teachers who were her mentors. She hopes to continue visiting the school and speaking with students, especially as the migrant population continues to grow.

“Her message, I think, will really resonate,” Mr. Golden said. “She’s so positive and I hope the kids see a little bit of themselves in her when she comes back and talks to them.”

Marvin now works as a programmer/analyst at Oneonta, where he majored in computer science and  studied mathematics.

He said the support  he and his sister received  in Greenport allowed them to flourish.

“All the people that have always believed in us and always been there to support us and cheer us on,” Marvin said. “It’s the place where we grew up and definitely a home for us.”

joew@timesreview.com

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Hundreds of supporters lined the streets of Greenport from Steamboat Corner to Mitchell Park as the town’s annual Memorial Day Parade came to the village Monday.

Rotating each year across different parts of the town, this is the first time since 2013 the full parade was held in Greenport. The 2016 parade set for the village was canceled due to weather, though a smaller group marched anyway.

With bright, sunny skies on an unseasonably warm day Monday, the parade was at full strength this time around. A brief ceremony was held at the war monuments at Steamboat Corner, before the procession marched down Main Street to Front Street before retiring at Mitchell Park.

Each of the town’s fire departments participated along with veteran’s groups, elected officials, school marching bands and more.

The day continued with activities at the American Legion Hall.

A parade was also held earlier Monday in Orient and Greenport’s annual dock ceremony took place prior to the town parade.

Local veterans groups, including the Greenport, Mattituck and Southold American Legions and Veterans of Foreign Wars kicked off the parade. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Local veterans groups, including the Greenport, Mattituck and Southold American Legions and Veterans of Foreign Wars kicked off the parade. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

You’re never too young to display patriotism. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

You’re never too young to display patriotism. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Local veterans groups, including the Greenport, Mattituck and Southold American Legions and Veterans of Foreign Wars kicked off the parade. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Local veterans groups, including the Greenport, Mattituck and Southold American Legions and Veterans of Foreign Wars kicked off the parade. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Local veterans groups, including the Greenport, Mattituck and Southold American Legions and Veterans of Foreign Wars kicked off the parade. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Local veterans groups, including the Greenport, Mattituck and Southold American Legions and Veterans of Foreign Wars kicked off the parade. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Local veterans groups, including the Greenport, Mattituck and Southold American Legions and Veterans of Foreign Wars kicked off the parade. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

You’re never too young to display patriotism. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Local veterans groups, including the Greenport, Mattituck and Southold American Legions and Veterans of Foreign Wars kicked off the parade. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Local veterans groups, including the Greenport, Mattituck and Southold American Legions and Veterans of Foreign Wars kicked off the parade. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

The North Fork NJROTC marched under the direction of Major William Grigonis. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Major William Grigonis. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

The North Fork NJROTC marched under the direction of Major William Grigonis. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

The North Fork NJROTC marched under the direction of Major William Grigonis. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Elected officials from Southold Town and the Village of Greenport marched together, including Town Supervisor Scott Russell and Mayor George Hubbard. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Town Supervisor Scott Russell (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Greenport Mayor George Hubbard. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Local Scouts. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

The Greenport marching band. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

The Greenport marching band. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

The Greenport marching band. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

The Greenport marching band. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

The Greenport marching band. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Rosalie Rung of the Greenport Fire Department. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Greenport’s 1933 fire truck. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Greneport ambulance makes the turn from Main to Front. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

The Southold marching band. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

The Southold marching band. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Kevin Webster of the East Marion Fire Department. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Each of the town’s fire departments took part in the parade Monday. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Each of the town’s fire departments took part in the parade Monday. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Each of the town’s fire departments took part in the parade Monday. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Each of the town’s fire departments took part in the parade Monday. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Each of the town’s fire departments took part in the parade Monday. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Each of the town’s fire departments took part in the parade Monday. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Each of the town’s fire departments took part in the parade Monday. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Each of the town’s fire departments took part in the parade Monday. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Each of the town’s fire departments took part in the parade Monday. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Each of the town’s fire departments took part in the parade Monday. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Each of the town’s fire departments took part in the parade Monday. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Each of the town’s fire departments took part in the parade Monday. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Each of the town’s fire departments took part in the parade Monday. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Each of the town’s fire departments took part in the parade Monday. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Mattituck Lions Club Strawberry Queen Teagan Nine. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Kissed by a queen. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Some marchers paid homage to the North Fork’s deep agricultural roots. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Some marchers paid homage to the North Fork’s deep agricultural roots. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Some marchers paid homage to the North Fork’s deep agricultural roots. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Some marchers paid homage to the North Fork’s deep agricultural roots. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Kate Nickles of the Little Red Barn. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Emily Williams of Cutchogue hands out candy to fellow kids. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this post stated that the Greenport Fire Department Carnival continued Monday. It also failed to mention all the monuments at Steamboat Corner. We regret the errors.

The post Red, white and blue in Greenport as Memorial Day Parade comes to village appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Forty-five minutes of playtime can spark positive change in a child.

That’s a belief David Gamberg, superintendent of the Southold and Greenport school districts, brought to administrators at the start of this 2018-19 academic year. 

One month ago, Mr. Gamberg said, elementary schools in both districts introduced an after-school program called the “Let Grow Play Club,” part of a national Let Grow Play initiative dedicated to promoting children’s playtime. The program encourages students to play freely without faculty interference.

The program began with 40 students in each school and now includes between 65 and 75 per district. The children, from grades K through 6, gather at their playgrounds every Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Gamberg said. Adults are present, but do not direct activities, and parents are required to sign a release before their children can participate. Mr. Gamberg believes the growing number of signed releases demonstrates their desire to get their children outside for unstructured play.

“I think it is a real indication of families wanting their children to experience something so simple, healthy and important in terms of childhood,” he said.

Given their busy schedules, said Southold elementary principal Ellen O’Neill, most children don’t have time to go home and play outside.

According to a 2016 study by the American Academy of Pediatrics, children spend up to 19 hours a week on smart phone and other screens, and more children than ever before are using newer digital technology, including interactive and mobile media, daily.

Ms. O’Neill cited social media, video games and organized extracurricular activities as a source of distraction from free play.

“If we can help to introduce more free play into their after-school lives, then I feel it’s important to make [the program] happen,” she wrote in an email Monday. A joint press release from the districts said dozens of elementary schools around the U.S. have formed Let Grow Play Clubs.

Students in Greenport enjoying time outdoors during play club. (Courtesy photo)

Ms. O’Neill said 20 minutes of exercise can increase brain function in children. When kids have the opportunity to create their own games among peers — a critical aspect of the club — it teaches social and communication skills and increases imagination. It has also been shown to reduce anxiety and stress levels, she added.

“With all of this research showing the positive effects, I feel strongly that we should continue to increase the amount of free play and exercise our children experience,” she said. “That goes for parents, as well as schools. If we all work together, our children benefit.”

Caption: Southold Elementary School students Ilana Shedrick (left) and Erica Stettinger climb on the jungle gym Tuesday at Let Grow Play Club. The club, new to Greenport and Southold elementary schools, meets every Tuesday afternoon on the playgrounds if weather permits.

knalepinski@timesreview.com

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School district officials unveiled Greenport’s first-ever outdoor greenhouse Friday to grow and harvest “hundreds of pounds” of fresh produce, officials said. 

The 20-by-50-foot structure west of the school building was created with help from a New York State Farm to School grant which offered $68,820 to districts on the East End in 2018 to improve access to fresh food.

Financial support from State Senator Ken LaValle and donations from Jamesport farmer Carl Gabrielsen of Gabrielsen Farms helped build the greenhouse. Mr. LaValle and Mr. Gabrielsen attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil the greenhouse.

Roughly six years ago, Mr. Gabrielsen said, his business started donating underused greenhouses to local school districts including Mattituck and Southold.

His inability to grow fruits and vegetables in the offseason motivated him to explore hydroponic growing systems — a method of growing plants in a water-based solution, he said. After working with the University of Arizona, he invited 16 local school districts to the farm. At that time, most of the districts implemented agriculture into their curriculum, he said.

In October 2018, Mr. Gabrielsen donated the “bare bones” of a greenhouse to Greenport, Superintendent David Gamberg said.

Later that month, technology teacher Mike Davies began working with the high school and middle school Design, Drawing and Production class to construct the exterior, electrical wiring and plumbing within the greenhouse. All 25 varieties of herbs, veggies and flowers were seeded April 15, Mr. Davies said.

The hydroponic system used in the greenhouse is similar to a system unveiled inside the school earlier this year, also manufactured by the DDP class, Mr. Davies said.

“We learned from that,” he said. “The difference is, I didn’t want to add a lot of work … to maintain it. All of our [plant] beds, we water once, so there’s no upkeep. It just sits in there, it drinks it, and then we fill it back up.”

The greenhouse also features conventional farming with soil and self-watering systems, which maintains damp soil for longer periods, he said.

Stony Brook University professor Roxanne Zimmer, a Slow Food East End master farmer and Cornell Cooperative Extension master gardener, who consulted with teachers to make suggestions about agricultural learning in the district, said the agriculture program at Greenport allows students to understand the importance of nutrition.

“Ask a kid if he or she likes kale? No way. But if he or she grows the kale, ‘That’s my kale, and I grew this!’ There’s that wonderful relationship between farmer and food.”

Mr. Gabrielsen said he believes the future of farming is hydroponics: it allows for year-round growth.

“It’s the next step worldwide, it’s all over Europe,” he said. “Everything is a global market now. It can ship anywhere. So it’s hard for a farmer to grow outside, only be able to grow six months out of the year — you can’t survive anymore,” he said. “You have to change, and that’s what they’re doing.”

Mr. LaValle said the greenhouse is a powerful learning tool for students.

“Having been a former educator, I believe in an experiential curriculum, and this is it,” he said. “This is all part of our East End heritage.”

Caption: Greenport High School technology teacher Mike Davies explains the hydroponics system in the school’s new greenhouse following the May 31 unveiling. (Credit: Kate Nalepinski)

knalepinski@timesreview.com

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As Stony Brook University Hospital progresses toward a merger with Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport, new services are already being brought to Greenport.

The Ed & Phyllis Davis Wellness Institute at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital has taken up residence just across the street from ELIH, sharing a space with the Center for Prenatal Care on Atlantic Avenue.

The new center specializes in massage therapy, now being offered in Greenport three times a week.

Clinical coordinator and licensed massage therapist Loretta Dalia said that since they began offering the service May 2, the demand has already spiked and they will soon offer additional days as well as evening hours.

“It’s a beautiful setting,” Ms. Dalia said, overlooking Stirling Basin from the building’s balcony last Thursday. “It’s a good opportunity for us to spread our wings to the North Fork, which is a beautiful marriage of the future Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital. We’ll be able to work in a sisterhood with our hospital here.”

Three licensed massage therapists are able to provide Swedish, deep tissue, trigger point, cranial sacral, reiki, manual lymphatic drainage, medical, prenatal and infant massages by appointment, she said.

The current rate is $55 for 30 minutes and $90 for 60 minutes and discounts are available for seniors and active military/service members.

The Wellness Institute also has an office in Hampton Bays that offers wellness-based programs and services such as acupuncture, yoga and barre classes and nutrition counseling. It was founded in 2009 at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital.

Ms. Dalia said the programs are meant to prevent illness by encouraging their patients to live healthier lives. “We educate patients on how to better care for themselves. It’s functional medicine,” she said, adding that physicians at the hospital coordinate supportive healing methods with pharmacology.

According to the American Massage Therapy Association, massage therapy can help increase circulation, relieve tension, reduce stress and anxiety and improve sleep.

There is a growing movement in the oncology community to use massage therapy to treat cancer patients and others who deal with chronic pain. Ms. Dalia said that offering palliative care helps patients manage pain and anxiety through different stages of their diagnosis.

“The effort is to diagnose and treat a patient’s pain, physically, psycho-socially and spiritually,” she said.

But patients who just want to relax are welcome too, she said.

The team of massage therapists envisions offering more services at the new Greenport location, especially once Stony Brook officially takes over Eastern Long Island Hospital. Ms. Dalia said they are already looking into bringing dietary specialists and acupuncture to the area. “Our end goal is to bring as much wellness over here as possible.”

The Ed & Phyllis Davis Wellness Institute is located at 300 Atlantic Ave., across from the hospital in Greenport. For appointments, call 631-726-8800.

Photo caption: Licensed massage therapists Loretta Dalia (left) and Marie Thompson practice massage therapy at the new Ed & Phyllis Davis Wellness Institute in Greenport, which opened in May. (Credit: Tara Smith)

tsmith@timesreview.com

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Concerns over parking were once again aired Thursday during a Greenport Planning Board work session discussion of a proposal to add a third floor to the Greenporter Hotel on Front Street.

Architects Hideaki Ariizumi and Glynis Berry of Studio A/B Architects in Riverhead presented a revised site plan that shows widened access to the property from Front Street, new decking and setbacks for the proposed third floor.

“It feels like it’s two stories … I think you’ll find that it doesn’t have that bulky sense,” Glynis Berry said, presenting the updated plans to the board.

The proposal would connect the hotel’s two existing buildings to create a lobby space and add 20 new guest rooms on a new third floor, which would also feature a communal library space. The hotel currently has 30 guest rooms.

A review of the plan prepared by AMP Architects of Mattituck found it would require 55 parking spaces — none are currently proposed aside from the 33 existing spaces.

“We’re not going to resolve that here,” Planning Board chair Walter Foote said, noting that the matter would be referred to the building department and Zoning Board of Appeals.

“We haven’t done a full analysis on what the variance is, but it certainly needs one in our opinion,” village administrator Paul Pallas said at the meeting.

It would also likely require a variance due to the height of the proposed building.

Though some Planning Board members had raised concerns about traffic impacts at a previous meeting, Ms. Berry said her correspondence with the state Department of Transportation indicated otherwise. “The existing curb cuts are both in good condition and are located where they would want them,” she said.

Hotel owner Deborah Rivera-Pittorino has said that many of her guests arrive via public transportation, but board members spoke out about potential traffic impacts again at last week’s meeting.

“It’s great that you encourage people to walk, but I don’t think you can say that it has no impact on traffic in the village,” board member Patricia Hammes told the applicants. She noted that traffic generated by the hotel could be people on their way to points east, such as Orient Beach State Park.

Ms. Hammes said she’d like an uninvolved third party to weigh in on their traffic concerns.

Some of the building elevations, mainly new decking on the upper floors, also elicited criticism from the board. “The deck outside, out front. It just gives the look almost like a hotel you’d see off the interstate,” Mr. Foote said.

Ms. Rivera-Pittorino said they’d be willing to address the style and design of the decking, but she’d like to have the additional outdoor space for guests, who typically come from Manhattan.

“It brings that building that much closer to the street,” Mr. Foote said. “It’s going to really stand out one way or another.”

Mr. Foote said that while he likes other parts of the design plan, he’d like to see revisions made to the deck and guidelines for what could be kept outside, to avoid a “cluttered” look.

The discussion was tabled until the next meeting on June 27, at which time the board may adopt lead agency status under (the State Environmental Quality Review Act) SEQRA for the proposal. The application will also be referred to the ZBA, officials said.

“It is a big project,” Ms. Hammes said. “We’re still struggling with the size, as you come into the village. I recognize that other hotels in town have a third floor, but they’re smaller overall in terms of footprint.”

tsmith@timesreview.com

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The Greenport Planning Board has scheduled a pair of public hearings on proposed retail and residential development along South Street.

Developer James Olinkiewicz is proposing renovations to properties at 110 and 112 South St., across from the IGA, to accommodate mixed-use retail with workforce apartments on the second floor of each building, according to attorney Patricia Moore, who spoke on behalf of the applicant.

At a Zoning Board of Appeals meeting last month, Mr. Olinkiewicz explained that the house at 110 South St. was moved approximately 25 years ago and placed behind the house at 112 South St. It now straddles the rear property line of 112 South St. Since properties in Greenport Village cannot be merged, they have been kept separate, he said.

He plans to construct a dividing wall through the center of the building along the property line, similar to a joined wall that the Greenport movie theater shares with the Menhaden.

At that meeting, the ZBA granted two variances related to Mr. Olinkiewicz’s proposal. The first grants relief from front yard setback requirements to allow a porch at the 110 property that is nine inches too close to the sidewalk. The second allows lot coverage at the 112 property to increase from the permitted 40% to 62%.

An existing parking area with seven spots will remain intact, Ms. Moore told the Planning Board last week.

After receiving the proper ZBA variances, Mr. Olinkiewicz must now earn site-plan approval for the properties. “He’s trying to wrap up this entire project at this point,” Ms. Moore said.

When asked by Planning Board chair Walter Foote what type of retail establishments might open there, Ms. Moore said there are no proposed tenants for either space yet.

The properties are located in the Commercial Retail district.

Public hearings on both properties will be held June 27 at the Planning Board’s combined work session and regular meeting.

tsmith@timesreview.com

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With the simple goal to “extend love, compassion and hope to those in need,” the True Light Church in Cutchogue hosted its third annual Hope Day on the Polo Grounds in Greenport earlier this month.

About 100 volunteers from local businesses, churches, and agencies and organizations including CAST and Head Start came together June 1 to provide free groceries, health services, haircuts, family portraits, lunch and more to those in need in the community.

“One of the best parts is that people see churches and organizations in the community working together, and doing it just to be a help,” said Keith Benson, lead pastor of True Light Church.

About 300 people attended the 2019 Hope Day, Mr. Benson said.

The event began in 2012 when Valley Stream pastor Steven Milazzo of Bethlehem Assembly of God partnered with an international non-profit organization, Convoy of Hope, to bring food and services to one Nassau area in need. It has now grown into a larger network and takes place in about 30 different locations around New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island on the first Saturday of June.

Mr. Benson said his church was inspired to start its own event after helping out Truth Community Church in Flanders with their first Hope Day.

“That’s actually kind of the point of this type of event — it’s not to get bigger, it’s actually to spread out and help localize communities,” he said.

Mr. Benson said the church plans on holding another Hope Day next June.

“People are more open once their physical needs are met to talk about their spiritual needs,” he said. “[The event] is hope on all levels — physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.”

Photo caption: Megan Rosado, left, and Michelle Santacroce prepare food at the June 1 Hope Day event in Greenport. (Courtesy photo)

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